• CHRYSEE G. SAMILLANO
There was no intention to “shut out” the media from the recent presentation of activities for the MassKara Festival 2023, as there is a scheduled press presentation, solely for media partners this weekend, a statement from the Bacolod Yuhum Foundation (BYF) said, in response to news reports regarding the absence of the mainstream media during the sponsor’s night, launching of the festival’s official logo and theme song at Stonehill Suites in Bacolod City, Wednesday.
“We regret the miscommunication on this matter as we have scheduled separately an event for our media friends to allow us more time for discussions and Q and A,” the festival organizers said.
The recent launch and sponsor’s night was intended for the Bacolod City Council and corporate sponsors as a matter of courtesy. This is to provide the Council a sneak preview of what will be in store during the festival, present sponsorship rates to our corporate partners, and allow the organizers time to tweak schedules if needed, before the final schedule of activities, venues, logo and song will be shared to the public through the press presentation, the organizers added.
The 44th edition of the MassKara Festival will start October 7.
Meanwhile, the City Council or Sangguniang Panlungsod ratified the memorandum of agreement between the Bacolod City Government and the Bacolod Yuhum Foundation for the staging of the 2023 MassKara Festival in Bacolod City in October, during its regular session Wednesday.
The MOA grants BYF, represented by its president Katherine Matiling, authority to be the over-all festival organizer of the 2023 MassKara Festival. The foundation will undertake all the events and supervision of the festival and, under its own authority, will raise funds for the event.
Under the MOA, the foundation is required to submit liquidation and fund solicitation reports not later than 180 days.
The Bacolod Yuhum Foundation is composed of Matiling as president, Kuster Cadagat as Board secretary, Jericho Redil as Board treasurer, while other members of the Board include Patrick Lacson, Ma. Lourdes Socorro Montalvo, and Rodney Mitz Ascalon.*
